Gaming is an increasingly popular form of entertainment. Games, particularly, games of change and skill in which one or more players play and place wagers on the outcome thereof may be played in a variety of ways, including at a casino or other venue or on the Internet. Of the various forms of games which are available for play, many are played with playing cards. Of these, poker is arguably the most popular.
Traditionally, poker is played at a table with several players wagering paper or coin money on a series of playing cards dealt from a deck of fifty-two cards. This deck is comprised of four suits at thirteen cards per suit. This form of poker requires a human dealer to coordinate the game, including dealing, wagering, folding, etc . . . . One of the problems with traditional poker is that it suffers from the possibility of human/dealer error. In “social” card games, especially poker, the players take turns acting as the dealer, but in licensed commercial gaming establishments, such as casinos, the dealer is typically a non-playing employee. Thus, another problem associated with traditional poker games in this context is the training and retention of dealers.
One alternative form of gaming, with particular reference to poker, has flourished on the internet. Internet gaming has become quite successful in that it provides many choices for the players. In particular, Internet gaming is fast and convenient, with registration, betting and payouts available from almost any computer with Internet access and with payments typically arranged via a credit card.
Poker or other card games may also be provided by stand-alone machines similar to slot machines.
One major drawback of internet and stand-alone type games is the lack of the human element. Many people prefer to play poker against other players, due in part to the drama associated with “live” gaming. Undoubtedly, an elevated level of competition exists when humans compete directly against one another. In gaming establishments, experienced players are trying to hone strategy and read other players' intentions through their movements and style of play to be more competitive.
Electronic card games, such as electronic poker games, have been provided which allow players to compete against one another, but eliminate the dealer and the physical cards. However, one problem associated with electronic cards is maintaining the confidentiality of each player's cards which are typically displayed on a monitor in close proximity to the player. In general, the prior art deals with this problem by providing some type of shield or other physical barrier. However, these type of devices have several inherent problems, in that they are easy to defeat by positioning oneself where the player's card are viewable. Additionally, these device are bulky and tend to extend upward from the monitor. This detracts from the overall appearance of the environment and may distract the players.
In “flop” type poker games, such as Hold'em Poker or Omaha Poker, each player's hand may consist of a number of hole cards unique to the player, and one or more common or community cards which are dealt face up. Players must make a betting decision or fold before one or more of the community cards are exposed.
If all but one player folds, then the remaining player is the winner of the hand. When this occurs at traditional poker tables with live dealers, the players who have folded occasionally ask the dealer to exposed what one or more of the undealt community cards would have been. This is commonly referred to as “rabbit hunting”. This is desirable, from the player's perspective, because it allows them to see if they made the right decision. However, it is generally not allowed on traditional poker tables because it slows down the game.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems set forth above.